PRESS RELEASE: Domestic violence survivor nominated for National Business Award

Mel Wojtas of Hive Village Project has been nominated in the 2019 AusMumpreneur Awards.

The AusMumpreneur Awards presented by The AusMumpreneur Network celebrate and recognize Australian Mums in business achieving outstanding success in areas such as business excellence, product development, customer service and digital innovation. The awards are designed to recognize the growing number of women who successfully balance motherhood and business in a way that suits their life and family.

Mel is an engaging Speaker, Survivor-Advocate, start-up Founder and single mum of two from Sydney. After discovering her life’s purpose, following over a decade in corporate office support roles, Mel has remained legacy-driven in utilizing her lived expertise with varying forms of domestic and family abuse, violence and trauma as drivers to create social impact and positive changes for future survivors.

Through professional development, Mel has become well-known for her advocacy in the community via guest speaking, consulting and contributing to policy reform in the community and welfare sector.

When Mel experienced how many barriers the current social systems have in place for survivors of Domestic abuse and violence, Mel has remained future focused to ensure no one else slips through the cracks, is left to ask strangers for necessities, face chronic poverty and/or homelessness. Fuelled by the injustice of current service gaps, Mel felt a strong sense of duty to create what needed to exist – safe and stable housing for people starting over after trauma.

Once Mel’s youngest child was settled into childcare she changed careers by enrolling in TAFE, 16 years after leaving High School after Year 10 in 2001. Mel studied Community Services at Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE and was then accepted into a Bachelor of Social Science at University of Newcastle, Australia. With growing community interest in her project, Mel received a scholarship into the Women’s Business School Ignite program, a virtual incubator for female founders in Australia.

Upon discussing her vision with Domestic Violence specialist services and countless survivors, the overwhelming message has been nothing but a sense of hope and urgency, echoed throughout every networking or industry event Mel has attended, for example:
“I have a list of people we can refer immediately”
“We need Hive Villages EVERYWHERE”
“Thank you for including animals – this is so needed”

There are many benefits to balancing business and motherhood as Mel explains:

“I’m proud of creating my dream life and grateful for the privilege of realizing my life’s purpose in my 30’s. I hope one day my children will value furthering their education and understand their dreams are possible if they pursue them. Being able to work from a home-office, overlooking my garden or working from a café, around school drop off and advocacy meetings, has been refreshing. Stepping away from the corporate black attire, peak hour traffic madness and being my most authentic self (bold hair, colourful wardrobe and tattoos), is another benefit of starting my own business.

It has been a challenge studying full-time with two kids, especially on my own, and traveling etc., yet from that, I’ve become the first person in my family to attend University and my kids will know that if their mum did that when they were young – they can too. It’s been an empowering journey over the last few years and I’m so thankful for the support of my small family, whilst we’ve been on this path.”

It can be challenging to be a successful business woman whilst raising a family and Mel gives this advice for others thinking about starting their own enterprise:

“If you can’t get the idea out of your head, there’s a reason it keeps appearing. Trust your intuition and you’ll notice when you are on the right track because opportunities, connections and events will align. Back yourself and your vision and stay focused on the legacy you’d like to leave behind.

Joining the AusMumpreneur network has been a game changer for me in stepping into the shoes of the woman I was born to be. Shaking off any additional doubt (we all have them) and having like-minded female founders cheering each other on, has been exactly what I needed to level up and get things moving.

I strongly believe that investing in yourself has a ripple effect through your own family and then out into the community. That’s something I’m role modelling to my children – use your interests, skills, knowledge and resources to give something back to others, no matter what adversity you’ve endured in the past, it doesn’t define you and can be channeled towards uplifting and empowering projects and social action – or in my case, a new housing solution”.

Business overview:

In 2016, Mel first conceptualized her vision for long-term housing with integrated support services for human and animal survivors of domestic & family abuse, in regional Australia.

Each self-contained home will be freestanding, pet-friendly, accessible and come fully-furnished, right down to the toothbrush.

Hive Villages will feature on-site support services and security to ensure survivors are adequately supported, long-term, as they begin to heal from their trauma.

Media Contact:

Read more at www.ausmumpreneur.com.
The winners of the 2019 AusMumpreneur Awards will be announced at the 10th Anniversary of the Awards at a glamorous Awards dinner in Melbourne this September.

For more information on the AusMumpreneur Awards visit: www.ausmumpreneur.com or contact Peace Mitchell on 0431 615 107 or [email protected]

For an interview with Mel Wojtas please contact:
[email protected], or www.hivevillageproject.com.au